Method and apparatus for converting a network description into a computer program for disambiguating transmit-by-exception telemetry from a multi-path, multi-tier network

• US 20040257243A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rachlin, Elliott H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A method for making an apparatus for disambiguating telemetry sent by exception over a multi-path, multi-tier communications network having a plurality of telemetry source nodes producing telemetry data elements, a plurality of linked relay nodes, and one destination node, each telemetry source node connected to at least one relay node, wherein each node originates uniquely identifiable periodically changing counter data over said network, the method comprising the steps of obtaining a network diagram of said multi-path, multi-tier communications network, organizing data describing said network diagram, wherein said data describing said network diagram includes data relating to said counter data, and autocoding said data describing said network diagram to produce a telemetry disambiguating computer program. An apparatus and a program product are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for making an apparatus for disambiguating telemetry, wherein said telemetry includes data sent by exception over a multi-path, multi-tier communications network having a plurality of telemetry source nodes producing telemetry data elements, a plurality of linked relay nodes, and one destination node, each said telemetry source node connected to at least one relay node, and further wherein each node originates uniquely identifiable counter data over said network, wherein counter data is a periodically changing data stream, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a network diagram of said multi-path, multi-tier communications network;

organizing data describing said network diagram, wherein said data describing said network diagram includes data relating to said counter data; and

autocoding said data describing said network diagram to produce a telemetry disambiguating computer program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of executing said telemetry disambiguating computer program on a processor coupled to a source of said counter data previously received by said destination node, said processor further coupled to a source of process unique identifiers (PUIs).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining said network diagram comprises the steps of:

drawing at least one relay node icon having a first shape, said relay node icon having associated text data relating to counter data originating from said at least one relay node;

drawing at least one telemetry source node icon having a second shape having associated text data relating to telemetry originating from said at least one telemetry source node;

drawing a plurality of link icons having a third shape, each said link icon connecting two node icons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of autocoding comprises using said network diagram to define an organizational scheme for a data structure in said telemetry disambiguating computer program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of autocoding said telemetry disambiguating computer program comprises the step of storing data in said data structure, said data including data relating to said telemetry, data relating to designed paths through said network, and said data relating to said counter data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of storing data in said data structure comprises storing said data in said data structure having a structure derived from said data describing said network diagram.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of storing said data in said data structure comprises storing a PUI table having each PUI associated with said each node further associated with a group including all said PUIs commonly originating from said each node, each said PUI associated with a group index to a record in a group table.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing said group table, wherein each said group is associated with particular first and last path indexes to a range of entries in a path table, wherein each said path index relates to a particular path between each said group and said destination node.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing a group status indicator in at least one record of said group table.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing said path table, wherein each said path is associated with particular first and last link indexes to a range of entries in a link table, said path table comprising ordered sequences of path records, wherein each said ordered sequence of path records has a range bounded by a first path and a last path for said particular group.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing a path status indicator in at least one record of said path table.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing a link table having ordered sequences of links, wherein each ordered sequence is to a range of indexes bounded by a first link index and a last link index for said particular path, each ordered sequence of links forming said particular path from said particular group to said destination node.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of storing a pipe table having an ordered sequence of pipe data lists, each pipe data list having a unique identifier for each counter associated with an indicator of node operability for said node originating said counter data.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising the step of storing a primary/secondary status indicator and a primary/secondary enumeration value in said pipe table.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of storing said tables comprises the step of creating directly addressable data structures.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of producing said telemetry disambiguating computer program further comprises the step of autocoding an updating function executable to produce an indicator of node operability from said counter data and to associate said indicator with said in data relating to designed paths in said data structure.

17. A method of creating a telemetry disambiguation program from data describing a network diagram of a multi-path, multi-tiered network transmitting telemetry by exception, the network diagram comprising an ordered arrangement of nodal icons having associated text data and connected by link icons having a source end and a destination end, the method comprising the steps of:

finding designed paths through said diagrammed network from each node, further comprising the steps of;

storing in said data structure a text string relating to a counter associated with each nodal icon; and

storing in said data structure pipe status indicators associated with each said counter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of finding designed paths further comprises the steps of:

sorting icons into nodal icons and link icons;

recursively finding each designed path to said destination node by, for each nodal icon,

finding-each link icon having said source end connected to said each nodal icon; and

for each link icon having said source end connected to said each nodal icon,

finding each nodal icon connected to said destination end of said each link icon; and

storing in a data structure sequences of found links relating to each designed path;

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of finding designed paths further comprises the steps of;

collecting said icons and said associated data; and

determining the type of each icon.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sorting icons includes storing data related to each link icon in association with a unique source node icon identifier and a unique destination node identifier for that link.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sorting icons includes storing data related to each nodal icon in association with text data associated with that nodal icon.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of storing in said data structure a text string further comprises the steps of:

creating a plurality of indexed tables to hold data; and

for each nodal icon;

getting a group table index for a group table of said plurality of indexed tables; and

storing data relating to each PUI associated with said nodal icon in a PUI table of said plurality of indexed tables, wherein each said PUI is associated with said group table index.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of, for each path:

getting a path table index for a path table of said plurality of indexed tables; and

storing data relating to said path associated with said nodal icon in said path table.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of, for each link:

getting a link table index for a link table of said plurality of indexed tables; and

storing data relating to each link associated with said path of said nodal icon in said link table;

getting a pipe table index for a pipe table of said plurality of indexed tables; and

storing data related to a counter PUI in association with a pipe status indicator in said pipe table.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of storing to a file predetermined code for:

searching said data structure for-all possible paths for a particular element of said telemetry;

identifying all nodes in each of said possible paths; and

determining if there exists at least one path among said all possible paths having said pipe status indicators indicating node operability for said all nodes in said at least one path; and

compiling together said data structure and said predetermined code.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of writing to a file predetermined code for updating said pipe status indicators based upon counter data.

27. An apparatus for disambiguating telemetry transmitted by exception over a multi-path, multi-tier, multi-node network to a destination node, the apparatus comprising,

a processor,

a memory coupled to said processor,

code in said memory executable to translate data representing a network into a data structure retaining data representing designed paths through said network associated with status indicators for each node in each said designed path;

and

code in said memory executable to produce in said memory code for searching said data structure to find at least one possible path among said designed paths.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said processor is coupled to said destination node, the apparatus further comprising code in said memory executable to produce code in said memory executable to update said data in said data structure based upon data received at said destination node.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said data received at said destination node comprises said counter data.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a source of telemetry data element names coupled to said processor.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said code for searching said data structure is responsive to reception of each telemetry data element name to disambiguate said named telemetry data based upon said updated data in said data structure.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising an integrated vehicle health management system (IVHMS) coupled to said processor, said IVHMS responsive to disambiguated telemetry data to change a state vector of said vehicle.

33. A program product comprising:

(A) an autocoder responsive to network diagram data to produce a computer program executable to disambiguate telemetry sent by exception over a multi-tier, multi-path network;

and

(B) signal-bearing media bearing the autocoder.

34. The program product of claim 33, wherein said autocoder is responsive to said network diagram data to produce a data structure retaining data relating to designed paths through said diagrammed network.

35. The program product of claim 34, wherein said autocoder is further responsive to said network diagram data to produce a computer program for updating said data structure with data relating to counter data from said diagrammed network, said data relating to counter data associated with said designed paths.

36. The program product of claim 35, wherein said computer program executable to disambiguate telemetry comprises a computer program executable to search said designed paths for at least one possible path having said associated data relating to said counter data indicating that said at least one possible path is an operable path, wherein said operable path comprises a particular possible path for which counter data is being received from each node in said possible path.